Energy consumption in barley and turnip rape cultivation for bioethanol and biodiesel (RME) production

The energy consumption for six spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) production chains and five spring turnip rape (Brassica rapa ssp. oleifera (DC) Metsg.) production chains were compared with each other and in relation to the energy content of the seed yield. Two cultivation intensities, standard and intensive production, were used for barley. Fertiliser production and grain drying were the most energy consuming phases of the chains. The production of nitrogen fertiliser alone accounted for 1/3-1/2 of the total energy consumption of the production chains. If barley were direct drilled and the yield stored in airtight silos, instead of drying, the energy consumption would decrease by 30-34%. Use of wood-chips instead of oil for grain drying would decrease the use of fossil fuel to the same extent. The input-output ratios for the intensive barley production chains were 0.18-0.25. They were somewhat lower than the ratios for the standard production intensity. The intensive production was more energy efficient despite higher input rates. The input-output ratios for turnip rape production were 0.32-0.34. The energy consumption for manufacturing, repair and maintenance of machines and buildings requires more research because it is a significant factor but the data available are largely old and few studies have been conducted.     

Analysis of finite element methods for the Brinkman problem

The parameter dependent Brinkman problem, covering a field of problems from the Darcy equations to the Stokes problem, is studied. A mathematical framework is introduced for analyzing the problem. Using this uniform a priori and a posteriori estimates for two families of finite element methods are proved. Nitsche’s method for imposing boundary conditions is discussed.     

On the FEM treatment of wedge singularities in waveguide problems

This paper introduces a novel extension to a scalar two-dimensional polynomial finite-element basis to better cope with wedge singularities in waveguide problems. An error estimate for the computed cutoff frequencies of the waveguide shows that the relative H ¹ error of the modal solution is critical. We demonstrate that the present extension significantly improves the approximation properties of a polynomial basis, especially in the H¹ norm. Numerical examples show that the present extension compares well with other recent techniques. Combining variable order elements with singular basis extension provides further significant reduction of the computational burden     

Material independent PML absorbers for arbitrary anisotropicdielectric media

By introducing electric displacement (D) into the FDTD model, material-independent perfectly matched layer (MIPML) absorbers are developed. With the help of this MIPML, Berenger's PML absorbing boundary condition can be successfully extended to anisotropic dielectric media with arbitrary tensor permittivity. Validation of the proposed technique is carried out through a numerical example     

Homogeneous assay technology based on upconverting phosphors

Upconversion photoluminescence can eliminate problems associated with autofluorescence and scattered excitation light in homogeneous luminescence-based assays without need for temporal resolution. We have demonstrated a luminescence resonance energy-transfer-based assay utilizing inorganic upconverting (UPC) lanthanide phosphor as a donor and fluorescent protein as an acceptor. UPC phosphors are excited at near-infrared and they have narrow-banded anti-Stokes emission at visible wavelengths enabling measurement of the proximity-dependent sensitized emission with minimal background. The acceptor alone does not generate any direct emission at shorter wavelengths under near-infrared excitation. A competitive model assay for biotin was constructed using streptavidin-conjugated Er3+,Yb3+-doped UPC phosphor as a donor and biotinylated phycobiliprotein as an acceptor. UPC phosphor was excited at near-infrared (980 nm) and sensitized acceptor emission was measured at red wavelength (600 nm) by using a microtitration plate fluorometer equipped with an infrared laser diode and suitable excitation and emission filters. Lower limit of detection was in the subnanomolar concentration range. Compared to time-resolved fluorometry, the developed assay technology enabled simplified instrumentation. Excitation at near-infrared and emission at red wavelengths render the technology also suitable to analysis of strongly colored and fluorescent samples, which are often of concern in clinical immunoassays and in high-throughput screening.     

A software platform for process monitoring: Applications to water treatment

Effective online monitoring of the performance of water treatment is critical. Industrial wastewater treatment, for example, has to confront important challenges concerning both cost management of treatment plants and fulfillment of regulations. Moreover, when drinking water is produced, water safety is an important consideration, and possible changes in water quality should be detected as soon as possible. On the other hand, the large amount of measurement data available creates its own challenges for water treatment processes, which means that advanced tools for monitoring, analysis, and control are often required. Therefore, it would be useful to have a monitoring system which is able to handle all available measurements and present the available information in a simple, user-friendly and flexible manner. In this paper, we introduce a piece of software which can be utilized in the monitoring of water treatment processes. The structure of the software is designed so that it can be easily modified according to the user’s needs. The system is demonstrated using process measurements from an activated sludge treatment plant, which is part of a pulp and paper plant, and from a pilot treatment plant for producing drinking water.     

The clinical outcome in pregnancies of grand grand multiparous women

Recent public health concern about the Jacob-Creutzfeld disease related to administration of growth hormone in children or the "mad cow" disease in cattle fed contaminated products requires a review of the association between Jacob-Creutzfeldt disease and pregnancy. Four cases of this transmissible spongiform encephalopathy have been described in pregnant women and none of the offspring, currently 22, 10, 7 and 3 years of age, have developed the disease. Vertical transmission of Jacob-Creutzfeldt disease cannot however be excluded as it occurs in animals and since injections of cord blood and placenta extracts of women with this disease into mice brains has proven the presence of the infectious agent. The rarity of Jacob-Creutzfeldt disease in women of reproductive age and the particularly long incubation period of this type of encephalopathy would incite prudence and long-term follow-up to determine outcome in children born from disease women or who developed signs of the disease during the years following delivery.     

Visual functions of drivers involved in traffic accidents

Eye functions were studied in 56 drivers who had recently been involved in traffic accidents. There were 17 women and 39 men in the study group, aged 20-87 years. The traffic accidents had happened in intersections and city streets, in parking places and on highways. In seven drivers, a visual impairment was found: two drivers had strabismus and low visual acuities in one or both eyes, two had considerable hyperphoria, and three had a deutan color vision defect. However, comparing the type of accident to the defective eye functions showed no probable correlation.     

Distribution of Ni,Co, Precious,and Platinum Group Metals in Copper Making Process

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B - The distribution coefficients of Ni, Co, Ag, Au, Pt, and Pd between molten copper and silica-saturated iron silicate slags ( $$...     

Antibody Responses to Transglutaminase 3 in Dermatitis Herpetiformis: Lessons from Celiac Disease

Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is the skin manifestation of celiac disease, presenting with a blistering rash typically on the knees, elbows, buttocks and scalp. In both DH and celiac disease, exposure to dietary gluten triggers a cascade of events resulting in the production of autoantibodies against the transglutaminase (TG) enzyme, mainly TG2 but often also TG3. The latter is considered to be the primary autoantigen in DH. The dynamics of the development of the TG2-targeted autoimmune response have been studied in depth in celiac disease, but the immunological process underlying DH pathophysiology is incompletely understood. Part of this process is the occurrence of granular deposits of IgA and TG3 in the perilesional skin. While this serves as the primary diagnostic finding in DH, the role of these immunocomplexes in the pathogenesis is unknown. Intriguingly, even though gluten-intolerance likely develops initially in a similar manner in both DH and celiac disease, after the onset of the disease, its manifestations differ widely.